Dang. Bel will have to redirect back to Barcus helping him bathe, but this is a serious matter. "I'm good at letting insults roll off me," he admitted. "Well, most insults. I admit I'm a bit sensitive about ones calling out drow men in particular, but I can deal with ones about drow being horrible demon-worshipping slavers."
It might be for the best that Nere wasn't too personally involved. Bel's impression of duergar was that they were absolutely willing to use violence to make sure their slaves got as much done before they inevitably died of exhaustion, but that they were less inclined towards psychological nastiness. Or maybe that was just reserved for followers of Lolth, not drow slavers in general -- it wasn't like there was much of a difference in the Underdark.
"But appealing to rationality is something I can do, as long as no one expects me to not also be a bit frivolous because it is the surface. I suppose that also means employment for myself, unless you intend to keep me as your consort."
Bel didn't have a good word for the concept in Common, so he used the drow word, a bit teasingly. Because in that context, it would imply 'a man largely kept around for sex and the social status of having his undivided attention', and wouldn't be what Bel actually wanted, though it was something Bel didn't mind playing at for a short time.
He really should stop getting distracted from just focusing on Barcus, but some of this is because Bel is still adapting to the idea of a new stage of his life, living in a human city with Barcus, and trying to get some footing.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2026-03-18 02:01 pm (UTC)It might be for the best that Nere wasn't too personally involved. Bel's impression of duergar was that they were absolutely willing to use violence to make sure their slaves got as much done before they inevitably died of exhaustion, but that they were less inclined towards psychological nastiness. Or maybe that was just reserved for followers of Lolth, not drow slavers in general -- it wasn't like there was much of a difference in the Underdark.
"But appealing to rationality is something I can do, as long as no one expects me to not also be a bit frivolous because it is the surface. I suppose that also means employment for myself, unless you intend to keep me as your consort."
Bel didn't have a good word for the concept in Common, so he used the drow word, a bit teasingly. Because in that context, it would imply 'a man largely kept around for sex and the social status of having his undivided attention', and wouldn't be what Bel actually wanted, though it was something Bel didn't mind playing at for a short time.
He really should stop getting distracted from just focusing on Barcus, but some of this is because Bel is still adapting to the idea of a new stage of his life, living in a human city with Barcus, and trying to get some footing.